Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm a small manufacturer in Tampa. I've been eyeing the consumer-level 3D printers for the past couple of years. With the current prices and my current needs, it seems like a good time to get into it. I hope to learn and contribute a bunch to the forum.

We manufacture the Tactilite and Spartan brands of big-bore, bolt-action upper receivers for AR-15s. We're starting to manufacture lower receivers and other accessories, such as scope mounts, bipods, etc. I've been using some of our suppliers to produce prototypes for me, but that's proven to be costly and slow. The 3D printer, and perhaps shapeways, could make things faster, cheaper and better for me.

Unfortunately part of our content policy prohibits weapons or pieces of weapons.

Content Models
We ask that content which could be interpreted by others as inappropriate for a general audience would be kept 'private'. In case of doubt, choose to keep your model "private".

Some examples of content that is prohibited and will be removed (private or public):
Content that may infringe on the rights of a third a party.
Content that contains hate speech in any form.
Content that contains nudity that is not artistic in nature and/or explicit sexual content.
Content that exploits images or the likeness of minors.
Content that depicts violence, is obscene, abusive, fraudulent or threatening.
Content that resembles weapons or weapon accessories (exceptions are made for miniatures, maximum size 10cm).
Material that is generally offensive or in bad taste, as determined by Shapeways.

The list outlined above is not an exhaustive list of prohibited material but rather general guidelines for you to follow.

I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me. -Maya Angelou
michael@shapeways.com Community Advocate

Well that sounds awesome. I just didn't want you to be disappointed if you did a bunch of work that wasn't allowed to be printed. There is a lot of knowledge to be gained here, and we can all always learn some more. What kind of work are you looking to print with Shapeways?

I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me. -Maya Angelou
michael@shapeways.com Community Advocate